Leveling device.



E. A. BUTLER & vv. A. NICHOLS.

` LEVELLNG DEVICE.

APPLICATION. HLED A PR.14. 1916.

Patented Jan. 22, 1918.l

narnnr ernten :ERNEST .AUBREY BUTLER AND WILLIAM ANGELO NICHOLS, OFTORONTO, ONTARIO,

l CANADA.

LEVELING DEVICE.

Specification' of Letters Patent.

Patented dan. 22, 191%.,

Application filed April 14, 1916. Serial No. 91,217.

To all whom z't may concern.

Be it known that we, ERNEST A. BUTLER and liVlLLIAM A. NICHOLS, subjectsof the King of Great Britain, residing at'Toronto, in the Province ofOntario and Dominion oit' Canada, have invented new and use't'ulImprovements in Leveling Devices, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to leveling devices, and one object of theinvention is to produce a device of simple and improved constructionwhereby a spirit level may be arranged at various predetermined angleswith respect to its support, enabling such level to be used not only forascertaining the angles of inclination, but also for enabling apredetermined angle to be maintained during the progress of work, suchas grading and the like.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and improvedattachment which may be readily applied to a straight edge or templet tocoperate with the same in ascertaining angles of inclination during theprogress of work..

lVith these and other ends in View which will readily appear as thenature of the inu vention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arrangement and combination ofv partswhich will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawing has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitationis necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,but that changes, alterations and moditications within the scope of theclaims may be resorted to when desired.

ln the drawing- Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a portion of astraight edge to which the device ias been applied.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken. on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view partly in elevation ot' a spirit level towhich the principles of the invention have been applied.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by likecharacters of reference.

IThe improved device, as seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, embodies a casing orhousing formed et sheet metal or other material suciently stili" anddurable for the purposes of the invention, said housing comprising a topwall 15, side walls 16 and braces 17 terminally connected with said sidewalls which are thereby stiiiened and reinforced, said braces alsoconstituting supports whereby the housing' may be mounted on a straightedge or templet, shown at 18. The side walls 16 are provided with bosses19 through which clamping screws 20 are threaded. said screws serving toengage the side faces of the straight edge for the purpose of mount# ingthe housing in position securely and yet detachably so that said housingmay be readily disassembled from the straight edge for convenience inpacking and transporting the same. v

The top wall 15 of the housing has a longitudinal slot 21, and the sidewalls 16 are provided with bearings for a transverse shaft 22 carryingat one end a thumb piece 23 which is threadedly connected therewith andwhereby it may be turned about its axis. 1the other end of the shaft 22carries a hand or pointer 2lb which may be secured thereon by means of athumb screw 25, it being obvious that by loosening the thumb screw thepointer may be adjusted about the axis of the shaft 22. rlihe shaft 22carries intermediate the ends thereof a slotted casing 26 containing aspirit level 27, said casing be ing capable oi being partly projectedthrough the slot 21, as indicated in dotted lines in lFigs. 1 and 3.

It will be readily seen that when the improved device is mounted on astraight edge, the casing containing a spirit level, as well as the handor pointer 24, is capable of being independently adjusted. Thus thespirit level may be positioned in parallel relation to the straight edgeor at any desired angle with respect thereto. One side wall 16 of thedevice carries one or more scales for cooperation with the hand orpointer 24; thus there may be a scale of degrees, a scale of inch fallto the toot, a scale of feet fall in fifty feet, a. scale adapted torailroad grades, or any other scales for special purposes. By theconstruction described, after the adjustment of the spirit level withrespect to the straight edge, the hand or pointer may be adjusted withrespect to any one of the scales, at zero or at any other desired point,although the pointer will usually be set at zero after proper adjustmentof the spirit lll@ level. In using the device it is obvious that anydeviation from the desired inclination cated on the scale with respectto which the f pointer vhas been set".Y

In the form of the invention illustrated.

in Fig. 4, theV body member 30 designates the body of an Ordinary.spirit level in which a casing 3l of approximately semifeylindrical formhas been fixed ina suitable recess orniorti'se, saideasing having anaxial bearing for ashaft 32. carrying a spirit level 33 contained in asuitable easing 34, said shaft carrying also at one end thereof ak handor pointer 3,5 which is adjustable about the axis of the shaft,l being`hel'din position by means of a. thumb nut 36. One endiwall of thehousing 31 carries a scale 37 for coperation with thel hand or pointer,said.V scale having been, devised with special reference to therequirements Lofsonie particular trade for the special use of which theimplement is; manufactured. The top portion of the housing 31 has aslot38 through which the casing of the spirit level may be l partlyprojecteda The; operation of this device is identical with thatpreviously described, except that being of smaller. dimensions only asingle scale is provided for cooperation with the hand or pointer 35.

Having thus described' the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. The combination with a straight edge, of a housing` having alongitudinally' slotted top Wall and side Walls, one of which has alscale marked on its outer face, a transverse shaft, a casing carried bythe transverse shaft and containing a spirit level, said casing beingadapted to be projected through the longitudinal slot in the top Wall ofthe housing, and a pointer fixed adjustably on the shaft for cooperationwith the scale.

2. ln a device of the class described, a housing having side Walls, alongitudinali)v .slotted top Wall and transverse braces terminallyconnected with the side walls, means for securing said housing on a.straight edge, a scale on the outer face of one of the sid(` Walls, ashaft supported for rotation in the side Walls, a. casing carried bysaid shaft and containing a spirit level, said casing being adapted tobe projected through the longitudinal slot in the top wall of thehousing. and a pointer fixed adjustably on the shaft for cooperationwith the scale.

ln testimony whereof We aliix our signatures.

ERNEST AUBREY BUTLER. WILLIAM ANGELO NICHOLS.

Copies of'this patent may beobtainer for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washingtoxn. C.

